Breaking Down The Pass Rush Productivity Of The Bengals Defensive Line

Cincy Jungle | Feb 27

First of all, this report wouldn't have been possible without the numbers provided by Pro Football Focus. PFF records snap counts and pass rush productivity beyond just the sack numbers, allowing for this analysis.

The Bengals used ten defensive linemen in the regular season of 2012. In reality, it was always a rotation of seven players on gameday, with usually three defensive tackles and four defensive ends. While the Bengals let some of their linebackers and defensive backs play every snap, the Bengals never let their defensive linemen play more than 80% of the defense's total snaps in a game. This rotation is what gives the Bengals defense that extra edge late in games, and it has become a trademark of Mike Zimmer's defense.